Representative image of artists enacting scenes from Krishna’s life during Janmashtami celebrations.
Krishna Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna, which was observed on August 15 and 16, this year. For devotees, Janmashtami is more than a celebration of Krishna's birth as they consider it as a reminder of the triumph of righteousness over tyranny, of joy over despair and of the eternal bond between the divine and humanity.
How Bengaluru celebrates Janmashtami?
Devotees observe fasting on Janmashtami. Both the days are almost spent under the shelters of temples together participating in 'Abishekam', singing bhajans and kirtans in the holy name of Krishna creating a spiritually uplifting atmosphere.
At homes, cleaning and adorning the houses with floral arrangements, drawing intricate rangoli designs at the entrances add to the joy of the festival. Some families create miniature of Krishna's birth scene, childhood and playful acts and dress their little kids as Radha and Krishna.
As a community, they play Dahi Handi where a pot of yogurt (curd) or butter is hung high and Govinda's form human pyramids to reach the handi and break it, a tradition associated with Krishna's playful nature. The Hindi Samiti at the IISc organizes Dahi Handi every year as an effort to celebrate various festivals and cultural events on campus.
Community feast or potluck is organized to share traditional dishes with each other.
Temples to visit during Janmashtami in Bengaluru
ISKCON Temple( Rajaji Nagar, Vasanth Nagar and Whitefield)
Here, the celebrations are multi day events featuring eleborated abhishek ceremonies, vastrabhushana and peculiar floral decorations, grand aarati ceremonies, soulful kirtana and devotional singing where a whole day is spiritually devoted in remembrance of Krishna.
Every year, especially at the KTPO convention center in Whitefield, a large scale performance including Dahi Handi takes place.
Sri Venugopala Krishna Swamy Temple, Vasanthpura
Dedicated to lord Krishna, this temple is a local favourite and known for its traditional celebrations and community participation.
Chokkanathaswamy Temple, Domlur
One of the oldest temple in Bengaluru dedicated to lord Vishnu fine traditional architecture creating a spiritual atmosphere during festivals.
Kote Venkataramana Temple, Kalasipalaya
This temple is a blend of Vijayanagara and Dravidian style of architecture, a great place to experience traditional festivities.
Sri Krishna Balarama Temple, Malleswaram
This temple organizes various programs and sevas during the festival.
In contemporary days, the celebration continues to the digital world by sharing celebration pictures in social media platform. #Janmashtami2025celebration
Here are few Kannada songs as suggestion to resonate Krishna Janmashtami celebration along with the digital world through your stories, posts and reels.
1.Nanda Nanda neenu Sri Krishna song from the movie Bhajarangi
2.Jaya Janardhana Krishna Radhika Pathe
3.Gopala Ba song from the movie Mukunda Murari
4.Krishna Nee Begane (feat. Navani Beganand)
5.Jagadoddharana adisidale yashode